𝑩𝑨𝑫 𝑨𝑷𝑷𝑳𝑬 | ˢ.ᵗᵒᵈᵒʳᵒᵏⁱ ˣ ᵒᵖ!ʳᵉᵃᵈᵉʳ ˣ ᵏ.ᵇᵃᵏᵘᵍᵒ

𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐏 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 𝐅 𝐈 𝐅 𝐓 𝐄 𝐄 𝐍

Chapter Fifteen: The Gala

"GO PEOPLE, GET A MOVE ON!" MITSUKI'S familiar voice hammered out orders to every person in the building. "GET OUT OF MY WAY! GET YOUR IDLE ASSES MOVING!" Her shouts bounced off the walls of the Bakugo household, drilling borderline panic into everyone's minds. MUA's, managers, photographers, stylists, you name it; they were here, and amidst the violent carousel of workers preparing for the upcoming gala, was you. Saishou Y/N.

Stood in the eye of the storm, you let strangers tug and pull at your hair, arranging it in extravagant curls and knots. You let them plaster your face with vibrant colours, and paint your skin with glitter. You let them trap you inside the glamourised cage which was your dress for the evening, and even let them place heels too high to walk in on your feet. Yet, despite all the commotion and people fussing over your every attribute, your eyes remained steadily trained to the doorway of the living room, where Bakugo Katsuki stared at you with such downright disgust and distaste that you felt more like a clown than a model. Something in the back of your mind made you feel emotions you weren't quite sure of as he turned and stormed up the staircase. The fact that he had inevitably locked himself in his room because of you stirred something unsettling in your stomach. You'd always gotten joy out of taunting him, but this time — after what he said to you the other evening — you couldn't quite look at him the same. You weren't at all sure if he was an enemy or ally, despite him not cancelling your trainings, but in return glaring at you like that.

He was more complex than you had anticipated. More complex that you were willing to understand.

"Saishou! There she is!" You finally looked back up a Mitsuki sauntered over, her arms extended outwards as if she was going to give you a hug. She didn't though, instead she merely patted your shoulder, and shooed any of the people surrounding you. "Why darling. You look so beautiful."

You hesitated for a moment, taking a sharp inhale of breath. "The dress — I love it." You managed to blurt out. Mitsuki's face crinkled in joy at your words, her smile somewhat comforting. You wanted to tell her how scared you were, how alone you felt going into this, but who was Mitsuki to you apart from your designer? Bakugo Mitsuki was no one. You wouldn't weigh her with your burden.

"You wear it wonderfully." A new voice called out. As both you and Mitsuki spun round, you were met with the savvy hero: Hawks, leaning against the doorway with his hands in his pockets. He was strikingly handsome in his black tux — although you'd never admit it — and you'd noticed how perfectly the hue of his feathery wings matched your dress of armour.

"Hawks." You breathed out, unknowingly more taken aback by his appearance that you'd initially assumed. Your cheeks soon became hot with embarrassment.

"What a surprise!" Mitsuki clapped her hands together. "Well, not really, but here you are! A lovely man for an even lovelier girl!" She cooed flirtatiously, grinning as you shrunk into yourself with every second of her teasing. Hawks smirked in response, pushing himself from the doorway as you neared his side.

"Shall we?" He grinned, offering a hand. You couldn't stand how he looked down at you like that. How you couldn't understand a single emotion behind those hollow eyes. It wasn't abnormal for anyone to feel cautious around their boss, but this: you knew this was a different type of fear.

"What a sight to see! And in my own home!" Before you knew it, Mitsuki had whipped out a camera. "Smile darlings!" You took a sharp intake of breath as Hawks placed a hand on your waist, pulling you to his side with that same carefree smirk on his face. You glanced up at him momentarily, before back at Mitsuki who was behind her little digital camera, and you cracked a grin. No professional photographers or modeling cameras could make you feel as special as you did when she took your picture.